THE MACHINE was a top 30 finalist in the world’s most prestigious screenwriting competition, the Nicholl Fellowships.

SYNOPSIS

Inspired by real events… A young girl in a remote African village dreams of doing bigger things with her life, but is held back by a culture that forces women into arranged marriages, forbids them from becoming leaders, and makes them herd goats as their main contribution to society. But when a UNICEF worker brings the village a computer with an Internet connection, she finally gets her chance to make a difference and uses Facebook to save her village, and her country, from destruction.

In a bustling African city, things are falling apart as a result of an evil, despotic PRESIDENT HAZOUME, who has destroyed the country’s economy, and forced thousands of young children into his own private army.

But miles and miles away sits a remote village, insulated in its own little paradise, oblivious to the chaos and danger building in the city. For now.

In the idyllic village, a 14-year-old, uneducated girl named AMALI dreams of doing bigger things with her life. But unfortunately, women aren’t allowed to serve in leadership roles in her village, or even go to school. Instead, she is expected to grow up and herd goats for the rest of her life.

But when a UNICEF worker brings the village a computer with an Internet connection, and connects them to Facebook, Amali finally sees her chance.

However, the long-time CHIEF of the village feels threatened by the machine, and he quickly shuts it down. Risking severe punishment, Amali secretly uses the computer at night anyway, and utilizes Facebook to try to solve some of the problems facing the village. She predicts the weather for the farmers, builds an aqueduct for drinking water and irrigation, and sells the village’s fabric for a large profit. Eventually, the town council forces the Chief to allow Amali to utilize the computer for the benefit of the village.

But Amali’s victory over the Chief is short-lived. She discovers “The Resistance”, which is attempting to overthrow the country’s corrupt President in a non‐violent coup activated through Facebook, and Amali joins online as an active supporter. Soon thereafter, BULAYO, the head of the President’s private army of child soldiers, arrives in the village to arrest Amali, but she narrowly escapes to the city. In his anger, Bulayo fires his rifle in the air, accidentally shooting a goat on a hill which falls into the village’s water supply, unnoticed because of the new aqueduct that Amali built.

In the city, SAMANTHA, the leader of the resistance, takes Amali in off the street. But when Samantha is captured by Bulayo, Amali bravely escapes with the laptop containing the Facebook password needed to activate the resistance. The fate of the revolution now lies in her hands.

With guards watching every Internet café in the city, Amali hikes back to her village to use the Internet connection. Just as she’s about to post the Facebook message that will activate the resistance in an electronic coup d’etat that will save her countrymen from the evil despot… the Chief stops her!

And posts it himself.

The Chief explains that the entire village has fallen ill from unsafe drinking water, and the President has done nothing to save them from certain death. The Chief apologizes to Amali for not having seen the President’s true colors earlier. Amali taps into her Facebook friends, who help her diagnose the sickness as cholera, and determines that the cure is simple sugar water. But with not a drop of drinkable water for miles, she downloads plans for a “solar still,” a water purification device. She spends all night building it, and as the sun rises, pure water trickles out of the aqueduct, saving the villagers. Amali is celebrated as a hero, and her parents finally agree that she is cut out for something more than goat herding.

The celebration is interrupted when Bulayo and his men arrive in town and capture Amali. But when the computer displays streaming video of the success of the resistance back in the city, and the President in handcuffs, Bulayo’s young soldiers turn against him and take him away.

In a huge break from tradition, the Chief offers Amali his job as leader of the village. She’d be the first female Chief ever, and the youngest, and accomplish her goal of doing something much more important than herding goats or weaving fabric.

But she turns him down. As it turns out, Samantha has offered Amali a leadership role in the new national government… as her Internet advisor.

As the sun sets on the village, Amali begins her long hike into the city to build a new government.